Towards a democratic commitment to prevent far-right involvement in local and regional governments

Written declaration No. 815 | Doc. 16221 | 30 June 2025

Signatories:

Mr Marc LAMUÀ, Spain, SOC ; Ms Nerea AHEDO, Spain, ALDE ; Mr Richard BAKER, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Laura CASTEL, Spain, UEL ; Ms Cat ECCLES, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Heike ENGELHARDT, Germany ; Ms María FERNÁNDEZ, Spain, SOC ; Mr Stephen GETHINS, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Gerardo GIOVAGNOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Ms Zita GURMAI, Hungary, SOC ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ LIMONES, Spain, SOC ; Ms Kristina IKIĆ BANIČEK, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Bisera KOSTADINOVSKA-STOJCHEVSKA, North Macedonia, SOC ; Mr Christophe LACROIX, Belgium, SOC ; Mr Max LUCKS, Germany, SOC ; Mr Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania, ALDE ; Mr Dimitrios MANTZOS, Greece, SOC ; Ms Luz MARTINEZ SEIJO, Spain, SOC ; Ms Wanda NOWICKA, Poland, SOC ; Ms Esther PEÑA, Spain, SOC ; Mr Ivan RAČAN, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Roberto SPERANZA, Italy, SOC ; Ms Céline THIÉBAULT-MARTINEZ, France, SOC ; Ms Susanna VELA, Andorra, SOC ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

We, the undersigned, declare the following:

We reaffirm our commitment to human rights, democracy and the rule of law and express our deep concern over the rise of far-right political formations in various member States’ governments.

These parties, which use hate speech as a political foundation, question democratic principles, attack minorities and the free press, and undermine the post–World War II European consensus of co-existence and cohesion. Their entry into governments – through coalitions or external support – poses a real threat to the values we share as Europeans and democrats.

We note with alarm that, at local and regional levels, explicit or tacit agreements have allowed these groups to enter governments or influence public policies affecting citizens’ daily lives. This institutional normalisation represents a dangerous legitimisation of their ideology and a weakening of democracy.

Therefore, we call on democratic parties in member States not to establish government agreements – by action or omission – that involve participation or support from far-right forces.

Defending democracy demands resolve. Co-operation with those who reject its principles is not a legitimate option. Only a Europe faithful to its founding ideals can confront today’s challenges without sacrificing its dignity.